* 


Second Edition, 


A HISTORICAL SKETCH 

OF THE 

JAPAN MISSION 

OF THE 

©pi^copa^ Qfiu^zcfv 


In S. O. 





ST. TIMOTHY’S CHAPEL, OSAKA. 



A HISTORICAL SKETCH 


OF THE 


JAPAN MISSION 


OF THE 


SpiAGOpCL 


ixv S. <£t. 


NEW YORK: 

Foreign Committee, 23 Bible House 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2017 with funding from 
Columbia University Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/sketchofjapanOOepis 


A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE JAPAN MISSION 

OF THE 

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE U. S. A. 


The history of the Missionary efforts of this Church in Japan 
covers a period of twenty-four years, and is a record of patient 
struggle on the part of a little band of devoted spirits against 
mighty opposing forces. The obstacles usually encountered in the 
presentation of Christian truth to heathen nations were at first in- 
tensified by the hatred which the Japanese entertained for all 
foreigners, and especially those who proclaimed themselves the 
followers of Christ — a hatred engendered during the Missionary 
operations of the Jesuits in the sixteenth century, and transmitted 
from generation to generation. Before recounting the fearful 
events of that period, however, it may be well to present a brief 
description of Japan. 

The Empire comprises four large islands and many smaller ones 
lying on the eastern coast of Asia, between the thirty-first and 
forty-sixth degrees of north latitude, and extending diagonally 
from southwest to northeast. The entire area is estimated at 
155,520 square miles, and the population in 1872 was 33,110,825. 
The climate is variable, but generally healthful. In the southern 
portion of the Empire the heat is at times almost tropical, while 
in the island of Yesso the temperature occasionally falls below 
zero. 

The western capital is Miako, or Saiko; the eastern Tokio, or 
Yedo. The former, which has never been opened to foreigners, 
dates its foundation from A. D. 794. Its population is about 
374,000. Tokio has a population of nearly 1,200,000, and is the 
residence of the Imperial Court. It has a well-endowed college, 
numerous hospitals and asylums, a police force of three thousand 
members, and is connected by telegraph with the most important 


4 


points in the Empire. A railroad has been built from Tokio to 
Yokohama, a distance of eighteen miles, and another is in course 
of construction to Takasaki, seventy-five miles distant. 

The second city in size is Osaka, on the island of Niphon. It 
is an open port, and the port of entry for Miako, thirty-three miles 
distant. It has one small fort at the mouth of the river, four miles 
below the city, has fine canals and bridges, contains the national 
mint, and is the great financial centre of the Empire. 

Third on the list is Yokohama, on the bay of Yedo, twenty 
miles from the capital. It is the most important of the seaports, 
has a good harbor, and although without piers or docks, has a stone 
wall, built for the shelter of boats bringing cargo from ships which 
cannot come within half a mile of the shore. Nagasaki, on 
the island of Kiusiu, has also a large and secure harbor. It was 
the first port ever opened to foreigners, and has been the seat of a 
Dutch settlement since 1609. The principal ports now open to 
foreign trade are Yokohama, Kobd, Kanagawa, Tokio, Osaka, 
Nagasaki, Hiogo, Hakodadi, and Nee-e-gata. 

Japan was first made known to Europeans in 1295 by the famous 
Venetian traveller, Marco Polo, whose accounts of the great island 
of Zipango were received, however, with utter incredulity. Noth- 
ing more was heard of Japan until 1543, when Ferdinand Pinto, 
a Portuguese adventurer, landed there. His visit was followed by 
the establishment, in 1549, of a Portuguese settlement which was 
maintained for one hundred years. The arrival and settlement of 
Dutch traders took place in. 1609, and their foothold has ever since 
been retained. A commercial settlement of the English existed 
from 1611 to 1623, but their subsequent attempts to gain a loca- 
tion were ineffectual, and until Commodore Perry’s expedition in 
1852 the entire trade with. Japan remained in the hands of the 
Dutch. 

Having thus briefly outlined the commercial relations of Japan 
to the western nations, we will now trace the course of Christianity 
in its efforts to gain recognition in that heathen land. In the six- 
teenth century the Portuguese, after the successful establishment 
of trading posts on the western coast of India, turned their atten- 
tion to Japan, where they met with a cordial reception as merchants 
and Christians. The King of Portugal, desirous of extending the 
dominion of the Papal Church in the East, applied to the Pope for 
a fitting messenger to bear the tidings of Christianity. Francis 
Xavier, an earnest disciple of the Jesuit Loyola, was selected for 


5 


the mission and departed for India, whence he proceeded to China, 
eventually reaching Japan in 1549. His success w^as marvellous; 
during his two years’ labors in Japan thousands of converts testi- 
fied to the power of his teachings, and whatever errors he may 
have inculcated in his allegiance to the interests of Popery (not 
then, however, in its pretensions what it has since come to) his 
personal devotion to the cause of Christ cannot be questioned. 
He returned to China in 1551, where his death shortly afterward 
occurred. 

Soon after this commenced the persecution of Missionaries and 
native Christians. In 1596 six Jesuit priests and twenty converts 
were crucified, and an edict of expulsion was promulgated against 
the Portuguese, who at that time claimed to have visited all parts 
of the Empire and to have made one hundred thousand converts. 
The work of persecution went mercilessly on, but as late as 1629 
there were still four hundred thousand native Christians in Japan. 
In 1636 occurred a terrible massacre of Christians said to have 
numbered more than two hundred thousand, and it was ordered 
that the image of the Saviour should be desecrated by being 
publicly trampled under foot. 

To both these proceedings the Dutch settlers gave their sanc- 
tion and assistance. Over the pit into’ which the murdered Chris- 
tians were thrown was erected a monument bearing this inscrip- 
tion: “ As long as the earth endures, let no Christian presume to 
set foot within the Empire of Japan; and be it known that, should 
any dare to disobey this law, though it were the King of Spain in 
person, or even the Christians’ God, or the great God of all him- 
self, he shall immediately have his head cut off.” In 1649 there 
remained, so far as known, not one acknowledged Christian in Japan. 
The Dutch maintained their position, however, by conniving at 
these atrocities, and for the two hundred years following the extir- 
pation of Christianity they monopolized the commerce with Japan. 

The first gleam of light that penetrated the dense darkness of 
idolatry came with the expedition of Commodore Perry in 1852. 
The formation of a treaty between the United States and Japan in 
1853, its ratification in 1854, and the opening of the ports of 
Hakodadi and Simoda, are historic matters upon which we need 
not dwell. The Japanese Commissioners attempted to prohibit 
the introduction of Christianity, but through the firmness of U. S. 
Consul-General Townsend Harris, permission to teach Christian 
doctrine and build Christian churches was secured, and the first 


6 


Christian worship in Japan for nearly two and a half centuries was 
held in December, 1858, at Consul Harris’s house in the suburbs of 
Simoda, 

We now come to the first direct Missionary movement on the 
part of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Early in 1859 the Rev. 
John Liggins, who had been laboring for four years as a Missionary 
in China, visited Japan for the benefit of his health and met with 
an unexpectedly cordial reception from the Japanese officials. A 
few days after his arrival at Nagasaki he received information that 
the Foreign Committee had appointed the Rev. Channing Moore 
Williams and himself as Missionaries to Japan. Being already in 
the field Mr. Liggins at once entered upon his duties, and thus 
was established the first Protestant Mission in the Empire of 
Japan. 

Mr. Williams reached Nagasaki in the latter part of June, and 
in September of the same year Dr. H. Ernst Schmid was ap- 
pointed Missionary physician. Great interest was manifested in 
the Church regarding the new Mission, and the visit of Bishop 
Boone of China to Philadelphia, accompanied by a deputation 
from the Foreign Committee, was made the occasion of special 
Services in behalf of the movement. The first pecuniary aid was 
the sum of $200, contributed by St. Mark’s Church, New York, 
toward the support of the first Missionary. 

Meanwhile Mr. Liggins found that but little could be done at 
first beyond learning the Japanese language (a sufficiently formid- 
able task), teaching English to native officials, and furnish- 
ing the Holy Scriptures and scientific works to those who would 
accept or purchase them. Among his labors was the preparation 
and publication of a book entitled “ One Thousand Familiar 
Phrases in English and Japanese,” which met with a large demand 
and passed through several editions. 

Mr. Liggins’ visitors evinced much curiosity as to the nature of 
the religious views which he came to impart, but were greatly 
shocked to learn that he was a Ki-ris-tan, or Christian, as that 
was the term by which the Jesuits were formerly known, and in 
their minds it was synonymous with all that was vile. Upon 
learning that the Missionary sympathized with their opposition to 
the doctrines and practices of the Jesuits, they were greatly aston- 
ished and eagerly sought further information. 

These were but few, however, compared with the many who 
looked upon the Ki-ris-tans with distrust and aversion, and the 


1 


Missionary’s labors were rewarded with but little encouragement. 
True, the sale of books, including the Bible, was protected by a 
clause in the treaty which provided that “ The Japanese shall be 
permitted to buy whatever the Americans have to sell;” but 
another clause read that “ Americans shall not do anything calcu- 
lated to excite religious animosity,” and upon this proviso the 
Japanese officials were inclined to place a very broad construction. 
The ancient hatred of Christians was undiminished, edicts, called 
Kosatsu, against things forbidden were posted in the streets, and 
the Christian religion headed the list. These edicts, posted on 
four boards placed under a pavilion, were called the great Kosaisu. 
The two relating to Christianity read as follows: 

“Board No. 1. — Law. 


“ The evil sect called Christian is strictly prohibited. Suspicious persons 
should be reported to the proper officers, and' rewards will be given. 

“Dai Jo Kuan. 


“ Fourth year Kei-6, Third month 
(March 24th— April 22d, 1868).” 


“ Law. 


“With respect to the Christian sect, the existing prohibition must be 
strictly observed. 

“Evil sects are strictly prohibited. 

‘ ‘ Fourth month of the first year 
of Meiji (November, 1868).” 

Large rewards were offered to informers against the hated sect, 
converts were persecuted with relentless severity, many being cast 
into prison, and a rigid system of espionage was maintained over 
all suspected of sympathizing with them. 

The great Kosatsu was placed in the heart of Tokio, at the 
entrance to the Nihon Bus hi (Bridge of Japan), whence it is said 
that all the great roads of the Empire are measured. 

In i860 Mr. Liggins was compelled by continued ill-health to 
retire from Missionary labor in the field, though he has never 
ceased to work, here at home, with all the ability that remained 
to him in his enfeebled physical condition. In the following year 
Dr. Schmid* was for the same reason obliged to resign, thus leav- 
ing the entire burden of the Mission upon the Rev. Mr. Williams. 
During his brief connection with the Mission Dr. Schmid rendered 
valuable service, and his success in the treatment of many difficult 
cases bore ample testimony to his professional skill. 


* Now practising in White Plains, N. Y. 


8 


In the early part of this year Mr. Williams wrote that he 
had, as a beginning in the work of translation, rendered the 
Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments into the 
book style. 

In 1863 Miss Jeannette R. Conover* was appointed a Mission- 
ary teacher and went to Kanagawa, but owing to hostile threats 
the lives of all foreigners were endangered, and she was forced to 
retire to Shanghai, with which Mission she had been previously 
connected since 1853. 

Mr. Williams continued his solitary labors, studying the lan- 
guage, receiving and conversing with Japanese visitors, translating 
a few chapters of the Gospel by St, Matthew and a small portion 
of the Prayer Book into Japanese, and holding Services for the 
benefit of the English-speaking residents in a church which 
they erected — the first Protestant church ever built in Japan. 
His letters at this period spoke of the increasing interest 
in religious matters manifested by the educated natives, the grow- 
ing desire for religious books, the stronger feeling of tolerance 
entertained by all classes, and urgently entreated that at least one 
more Missionary might be sent to aid in furthering the good work. 

In 1864 occurred the death of Bishop Boone, and the Rev. Mr. 
Williams was elected as his successor in 1865. During this year 
the first convert was baptized, but not through the agency of the 
Protestant Episcopal Church; the long desired honor was gained 
by the Dutch Reformed Church. Mr. Williams, however, in Feb- 
ruary, 1866, baptized a Samurai of Hiogo. On the 3d of October, 
having in the interim returned to the United States, he was con- 
secrated as Missionary Bishop to China and Japan. The Services 
were held in St. John’s Chapel, New York, the presiding 
Bishop, Hopkins, being the Consecrator. There were present 
and officiating. Bishops Lee, Johns, Payne, Potter, Whipple 
and Talbot, and the Rev. Drs. Cotton Smith, Littlejohn, Twing, 
Denison, and Morrell. In Bishop Williams’ report, made at this 
time, the following interesting incident is mentioned : 

“An intelligent old Buddhist priest, who had previously received a Bible 
and several tracts, became so interested in the doctrines of our holy religion 
that he bought up all the New Testaments he could find in the bookstores, and 
on his return to his province purchased twenty-five New Testaments, ten Old 
Testaments, and one hundred and thirty-five Christian books and tracts. He 
carried with him two large boxes of books to distribute in a region of country 

* Now Mrs. Elliot H. Thomson, of the China Mission. 


9 


one hundred miles from Nagasaki, which it is impossible for a Missionary to 
visit.”* 

In November of this year the Foreign Committee memorialized 
the Government of the United States, praying for its influence, in 
connection with that of the English Government, to persuade the 
rulers of Japan to repeal the law making the open profession of 
Christianity penal. Bishop Williams conveyed this document to 
Washington, and in company with the Rev. Dr. Hall, then rector of 
the Church of the Epiphany in that city, presented it to the proper 
authorities. The reply of the Hon. Secretary of State was to 
the effect that, although any active measures would be regarded as 
premature, the United States Minister would be instructed to co- 
operate with her Britannic Majesty’s representative in seizing any 
favorable opportunity for securing the removal of disabilities 
against Christians in Japan. 

The year 1867 was marked by no event other than the return, 
in January, of Bishop Williams to China, whence he wrote deplor- 
ing the Church’s seeming apathy regarding the neglected Mission- 
ary work in Japan, and pointing to the greater energy manifested 
by other Christian bodies; the Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed 
having three Missionaries and one physician, and the Roman 
Catholics being still more largely represented. 

Toward the close of 1868 the Bishop decided to make his home 
in Osaka, Japan, where his knowledge of the language would at least 
enable him to do something to keep the good seed already 
planted from utterly perishing, while at the same time he would 
be within thirty hours’ sail of his jurisdiction in China. In De- 
cember of this year General Vanvalkenburg, American Minister 
in Japan, having received from the Secretary of State the petition 
of the Board of Missions relative to the repeal of the edict against 
Christianity, wrote to Bishop Williams that, with the support of all 
the Foreign Ministers, he was pressing the matter «pon the atten- 
tion of the Government; and had good reason to hope for the 
speedy repeal of the edict and the free toleration of Christianity. 
At the same time he advised caution in attempting “ active, ag- 
gressive Missionary work ” until the question should be finally 
settled. 

The years 1869 and 1870 passed by, and still no one volunteered 
for the upholding of the banner of CHRIST in Japan. The perse- 
cution of native Christians (chiefly Roman Catholic) still con- 

* This Priest afterward, it is said, wrote an attack on Christianity. . 


10 


tinued, more than four thousand being banished to the desolate 
island of Yesso, and other provinces of the Empire. Near 
the close of 1869 the Rev. Mr. Liggins, being satisfied that his 
impaired health would not permit his return to the field, offered 
his resignation, which was accepted. 

In March, 1870, the Bishop fitted up a little Chapel in Osaka, 
held English Services every Sunday, and confirmed four converts, 
this being our first Confirmation in Japan. At the close of the 
year there was little progress to report; religion was making but 
slender headway, although more than one hundred foreigners were 
employed as school-teachers, physicians, miners, geologists, and 
instructors in military and naval tactics. Another appeal was this 
year made to the State Department for an effort to obtain a repeal 
of the edict against Christianity, but as before, while warm in- 
terest was expressed regarding the subject, no favorable result 
was secured. 

In 1 870 there came one reponse to the Bishop’s fervent appeals for 
aid; the Rev. Arthur R. Morris, of the Diocese of New Jersey, was 
appointed a Missionary in December, and reached Osaka in May, 
1871. He offered his services without salary, and at once applied 
himself diligently to the acquisition of the language. The outlook 
was more encouraging; there was a rage for English education and 
the adoption of the customs and inventions of western nations. 
Material improvements made great progress; light-houses were 
erected, steamboats built, railroad and telegraph lines constructed, 
and everything seemed auspicious for the furtherance of the work 
to which so few, alas! appeared willing to devote themselves. 

Early in 1872 the Bishop made further translation of the Gospels 
and the Prayer Book, and organized a boys’ school in Osaka, the 
Rev. Mr. Morris being the teacher of English. Several converts 
were baptized by the Bishop, and hope for the brighter future of 
the Mission revived. 

The year was made memorable by the removal of the anti- 
Christian Kosatsii, and the release from imprisonment and return 
to their native villages of the thousands of banished Christians. 

In August the Rev. G. D. B. Miller, of Bois6, Idaho, and in Oc- 
tober the Rev. J. Hamilton Quinby, of Monticello, Florida, were 
appointed Missionaries, reaching Osaka with their families Decem- 
cember 31st. 

In March 1873, Dr. Henry Laning, of Syracuse, N. Y., was 
appointed Missionary physician, and arrived at Osaka July 4th. 


11 


The Mission staff was still further enlarged this year by the ap- ^ 
pointment of the Rev. Messrs. William B. Cooper, of the Diocese 
of Mississippi; William James Miller, of Pittsburgh; Charles H. 
Newman, of Wisconsin, and Clement T. Blanchet, of Illinois. 
Before the time of sailing arrived, the Rev. W. J. Miller was com- 
pelled to withdraw on account of ill health. At the close of this 
year the school in Osaka numbered about fifty pupils, and there 
was great improvement in the Sunday Services in Japanese. The 
little chapel had been reconstructed and enlarged. Early in the 
year a Communion service of pure silver was sent for the use of 
the Mission in Osaka. It was a memorial, and by direction of the 
giver a valuable ring was placed permanently upon the handle of 
the flagon as a memento. Contributions were received from St. 
Andrew’s Church, Pittsburgh, for the establishment of a Mission 
library at Tokio. In November the Bishop made Tokio his place 
of residence. 

About the beginning of 1874 an attempt was made to prohibit 
Christian teaching and preaching. This step was taken by minor 
officials in the absence of Soyeshima, Minister of State for Foreign 
Affairs. Upon his return it was suppressed, through the spirited 
remonstrance of the Hon. C. E. De Long, United States Minister 
to Japan. 

In February, 1874, a school was established at Yedo (or Tokio, 
as it was re-named about four years before). Only five pupils were 
secured at first, but there was evidence of increasing interest, and 
the Rev. Mr. Blanchet reported that prospects at that station were 
encouraging. The Bishop had translated the responsive portions 
of the Service; also the hymn “ Rock of Ages.” In May of this year 
the Rev. Clement T. Blanchet and the Rev. William B. Cooper were 
advanced to the Priesthood at Tokio by Bishop Williams. This 
was the first Ordination ever held in Japan. In June the little 
congregation at Tokio were gladdened by the reception of a beau- 
tiful Communion service, presented by a sympathizing friend at 
home. 

In July the Rev, G. D. B. Miller, with the consent of the Mission- 
ary Bishop and the Foreign Committee, was transferred from Osaka, 
Japan, to Shanghai, China, for the purpose of taking charge of the 
foreign congregation at the Hong Kew church. In August Bishop 
Williams made an earnest appeal for a division of jurisdiction and 
the appointment of a separate Bishop for China, as the vast distances 
to be travelled rendered it impossible for him to direct such widely 


12 


sundered operations. By a singular coincidence the matter was 
at that very time under advisement in the Foreign Committee, 
and at the subsequent meeting of the General Convention the 
Bishop’s request was granted. 

In November, the Missionary band was strengthened by 
the arrival at Osaka of Miss Ellen G. Eddy, of South Bend, Ind. 
In December the Rev. Charles H. Newman ceased his connection 
with the Japanese Mission and returned to the United States. The 
year closed with more cheering prospects, and the Bishop and his 
faithful assistants looked forward with renewed faith and courage. 
During the year twenty converts had been baptized and confirmed. 
Services in Japanese had been regularly held on Sundays, the 
authorities had given positive assurance that native Christians 
should no longer be persecuted, the demand for religious books 
had greatly increased, and more general interest in the subject of 
Christianity was manifested. The heaviest shadow that rested on 
the Mission was the want of a sufficient number of workers; the 
field was indeed white with the harvest, but the laborers were all 
too few. 

The record for the year would be incomplete without mention 
of the good work done by Dr. Laning at the Dispensary in Osaka. 
During the first six months after its opening he treated more than 
one thousand patients gratuitously, and sold and loaned many 
Christian books in Japanese, Chinese and English. 

In January, 1875, the first marriage between Japanese converts 
took place at Osaka. During this month a girls’ school was estab- 
lished by Miss Eddy. There was no arrival of Missionaries during 
the year, but the few who were bravely contending against fearful 
odds did not suffer their efforts to relax. The schools made good 
progress, and the number of converts was considerably enlarged. 
As before, the cry was for help, and especially were the services 
of active, earnest women needed, but no response came to the 
Bishop’s reiterated appeals. 

The first break in the Mission circle by death occurred in this 
year. Mrs. Quinby, who for some time had been failing in health, 
left her home for the United States, October 5th, intending to 
spend the winter in San Francisco, and afterward to visit the east. 
Arriving in San Francisco October 25th, she failed rapidly, and 
entered into rest November 13th. 

The year 1876 opened without any event of special interest in 
connection with Mission affairs. Miss Eddy, writing from Osaka 


13 


in January, mentioned the progress of the girls’ school, which then 
numbered fourteen members; and Mr. Blanchet reported thirty- 
five pupils in the boys’ school at Tokio, and the Baptism of ten 
converts. He also spoke of the urgent need for single women as 
Missionaries. 

In March Bishop Williams wrote that the Prime Minister had 
issued a notification to the effect that thereafter all government 
offices would be closed on Sunday. This was regarded as highly 
favorable to the cause of Christianity, indicating that the attitude 
of the government had experienced a remarkable change. There 
was evidently a growing inclination to adopt the customs and ob- 
servances of western nations, and some of the officials even went 
so far as to express the opinion that the adoption of Christianity 
was essential to the future progress and welfare of the country. 

On the morning of Easter Day the Bishop confirmed seven 
persons, five of whom were women, and in the afternoon baptized 
seven, five of them pupils in the school at Tokio. About this time 
there appeared many articles in the native press speaking in favor- 
able terms regarding Christianity. “ The Daily Newspaper,” the 
leading journal of Tokio, said: 

“ Under the tyrannous rule of the Tokagawa family the Christian religion 
was long prohibited bylaw and none might either teach or learn it; but at 
present it is as good as tolerated by the government, and we do not believe 
there is any probability whatever that the Holy Religion of Jesus will be sup- 
pi essed by the State.” 

Under such circumstances it might have been thought that the 
spirit of Missionary zeal would have brought some accession to 
the ranks of the little band of workers, but such was not the case. 
Bishop Williams concluded his report for the year ending June 
30th, 1876, with these words: 

“ In my last report an earnest appeal was made for more men and women, 
but it has met with no response. No one — man or woman — has been found 
ready and willing to help us to do our Master’s work in Japan. Other Mis- 
sions are increasing their forces, but we are stationary, or rather we are fewer 
in number than we were two years ago. Of Protestants there are now in Japan 
about fifty Ministers, five Missionary Physicians and twenty single women, and 
Rome has sent two Bishops, twenty-five Priests and seven Sisters; we number 
only five Clergymen, one Physician and one single woman. May God speedily 
put it into the heart of some one to ‘come over and help us.’ ” 

In November of this year occurred a disastrous fire at Tokio, 
destroying about ten thousand houses. The Mission place of 
worship, school-room, and the Bishop’s residence were burned. 


14 


together with the greater part of the Mission library and all the 
chapel furniture, including the organ. The loss was seriously felt, 
and great difficulty was experienced in obtaining new quarters. 

In February, 1877, the Rev. William B. Cooper was married to 
Miss Alice M. Maclay — daughter of a Missionary of another Board 
— at Yokohama; and in April the marriage of the Rev. Clement 
T. Blanchet and Miss Annie V. N. Maltby — of the Woman’s 
Union Missionary Society — was solemnized at Christ Church, 
Yokohama, by Bishop Williams. 

In April, just five months after the great fire in which the Mis- 
sion buildings were destroyed, a new chapel (the first ever built 
outside the Concession) was completed. The boys’ school was 
temporarily abandoned, owing to the impossibility of finding a 
suitable building for its accommodation. In this month, also. Dr. 
Laning opened a new Dispensary in the heart of the city of Osaka. 

On the the nth of May Miss Florence R. Pitman, of Charlottes- 
ville, Va., was appointed a Missionary teacher. She reached 
Tokio in November, and entered upon her duties in the girls’ 
school. 

In June Mr. Isaac K. Yokoyama was appointed a Missionary, 
and soon afterward ordained, arriving at Yokohama in October. 
He had been in the United States six years pursuing his studies, 
when he decided to enter the Ministry and become a Mission- 
ary to his own people. He was the first native Clergyman of 
the Church which was the first of all Protestant Christian bodies 
to carry the Gospel message to Japan. 

The additions to the Church during 1877 were not numerous, 
but the Missionaries’ hearts were often gladdened by such evi- 
dences of increasing desire to learn the truths of religion, as sus- 
tained their zeal and gave them reason to hope for an abundant 
harvest from the good seed which they were constantly sowing. 

The Church Missionary Society having advised its Missionaries 
to hold a Conference to discuss matters of common interest, it 
was decided that they should meet in May, 1878, at Tokio. The 
Missionaries of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel 
asked the privilege of attending the meeting, and it was suggested 
that all Episcopal Missionaries should at the same time hold a 
joint Conference. The suggestion was approved by the Foreign 
Committee. A proposition to establish a joint Theological 
School for the training of Candidates for the Ministry for the three 
Societies was referred for discussion to the meeting in May. 


15 


In March, 1878, the Bishop announced that Mr. Cooper’s health 
was so seriously impaired as to demand absolute rest and change 
of climate. He accordingly left for Europe, cn route to the 
United States, accompanied by his Avife. Mr. Cooper’s enforced 
withdrawal was a serious loss to the Mission, as he spoke Japanese 
very fluently and was most earnest and active in his work. 

In June the Foreign Committee appointed as a Missionary the 
Rev. Theodosius S. Tyng, rector ofSt. James’ Church, North Cam- 
bridge, Mass. On the 3d of August, Mr. and Mrs. Tyng sailed 
from New York via England, arriving in Tokio November 24th. 

In July Miss Pitman wrote that three persons had been bap- 
tized and seven confirmed at the chapel in Tokio. Mrs. Blanchet 
spoke of the increasing interest in the meetings held in the homes 
of converts. About this time there was established a Divinity 
Training School at Tokio, and by December it numbered thirteen 
students. Lectures were delivered by the Bishop on the Harmony 
of the Gospels; by the Rev. Mr. Blanchet on Church History; 
and by the Rev. Mr. Shaw, of the “ S. P. G.,” on Internal Evi- 
dence. On the 1st of November the Bishop opened a school for 
boys and young men, with sixteen pupils in attendance. 

In his report at the close of the Mission year the Bishop men- 
tioned the excellent work done by Mr. Morris and Mr. Quinby; the 
great services rendered by Dr. Laning, who, during the year, had 
treated about 2,500 patients at the two dispensaries; and the 
steady progress making in the girls’ schools at Osaka and Tokio. 

During the absence of the Bishop of Victoria (Bishop in charge 
of the English Church Missions in JapanJ, Bishop Williams was re- 
quested to act in his place, and on Palm Sunday confirmed thirty- 
two persons at the Rev. Mr. Shaw’s chapel in Tokio. The Con- 
ference above alluded to met in May. There were present the two 
Bishops and fifteen other Clergymen. Their deliberations were 
most harmonious, and it was resolved to have but one Book of 
Common Prayer for the use of Japanese Christians. The Morning 
and Evening Prayer and Litany which had been prepared were 
authorized, and a committee appointed to translate and publish 
the Offices for the Holy Communion, Baptism, and Confirmation, 
and the Catechism. The students of the joint Theological School 
were to live with Bishop Williams and receive instruction from both 
English and American Missionaries. 

In January, 1879, the Rev. Mr. Cooper and wife arrived at New 
York. Mr. Cooper’s health was much improved, and after a brief 


16 


visit at his home, he at once commenced a series of addresses be- 
fore congregations in the South and West, giving an account of 
the work in his field. The Rev. Mr. Yokoyama, who had been 
rendering efficient service among his people, was obliged to sus- 
pend his efforts in great measure, owing to ill-health. The Rev. 
Mr. Tyng, writing from Osaka in March, spoke of the importance 
of that station and the urgent need of additional teachers, as in- 
struction in the English language was an indispensable preliminary 
to Christian education. Mr. Blanchet also called attention to the 
pressing want of more laborers in a field which promised such an 
abundant harvest. 

To quote Mr. Tyng’s words: “The educated classes, who 
form a very large proportion of the people, have ceased to believe 
in heathenism.” Among the lower classes, also, the ancient faith 
had greatly lost its hold, and almost the entire people were in the 
mood to listen to any teaching which promised something better 
than the discarded superstitions. The time was eminently aus- 
picious for the inculcation of Christian truth, but the Missionary 
force was numerically far too weak to improve the golden oppor- 
tunity. Entreaties for assistance were made unceasingly, but the 
Macedonian cry for help was seemingly unheeded. 

The Divinity School continued to receive a considerable share 
of the time and labor of Messrs. Blanchet and Quinby, and its 
good influence was very perceptible. The girls’ school at Osaka, 
under Miss Eddy’s charge, made encouraging progress, with an 
average attendance of about twenty-five pupils; while Mrs. Blan- 
chet and Miss Pitman worked energetically to render the girls’ 
school at Tokio equally successful. 

On the 26th of June the Rev. J. Hamilton Quinby was married 
to Miss Mary Nelson, of the Woman’s Union Missionary Society. 
In October the Rev. John McKim, of Nashotah, Wis., was ap- 
pointed a Missionary, and, with his wife, reached Osaka in March, 
1880. On the 26th of December occurred another of those great 
fires for which Tokio is so famous. The Bishop’s house was burned 
and much of its contents destroyed. 

In speaking of the good accomplished by the Divinity School 
during 1879, Mr. Blanchet strongly advocated the training of a 
native Ministry as the most effectual means of aiding the Mission- 
aries. To use his own words: “The people are actually getting 
ready for Christianity faster than we can carry it to them.” Re- 
peated invitations came from interior towns and villages for the 


17 


MissionaHes to come and teach the “Religion of Jesus,” but the 
force was altogether inadequate to meet the demands upon it. 

The service of the Rev. Isaac K. Yokoyama, which opened 
with bright promise, was brief, since at his own request he was de- 
posed from the sacred Ministry early in the year 1880. In the 
opinion of physicians, his mental powers were impaired by over 
study. On Easter Day the Bishop baptized seven, and Mr. 
Blanchet eleven persons. In June Mr. Edmund R. Woodman, of 
the senior class of the Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, 
Mass., was appointed as Missionary, to take effect upon his Ordi- 
nation to the Diaconate; and Mr. James McD. Gardiner was ap- 
pointed Missionary teacher to be stationed at Tokio. On Septem- 
ber 1st Mr. and Mrs. Woodman sailed from San Francisco, reaching 
Yokohama September 21st. Mr. Gardiner arrived in Tokio on the 
I2th of October. On the 19th of June, the Rev. and Mrs. William 
B. Cooper left San Francisco on their return to Yokohama, where 
they arrived on the 9th of July. Mr. Cooper’s health was thought 
to be completely re-established. 

Under the energetic management of Mr. Tyng, St. Timothy’s 
School at Osaka continued to flourish, the number of pupils in 
May, 1880, being nearly fifty. The girls’ school also prospered, 
and four of the pupils were baptized. Dr. Laning’s work steadily 
enlarged, and its importance can be judged from the Bishop’s 
statement that one-half of those baptized during the year were 
led into the Church through their connection with him. The 
project of building a hospital was strongly advocated by the 
Doctor, and an appeal was made for the requisite funds. The 
Committee on Work for Foreign Missionaries (women of the Dio- 
cese of New York) undertook to raise the needed amount. With 
some contributions from others, they had nearly redeemed their 
pledge at the date of this writing. 

In the Bishop’s annual report the gratifying announcement was 
made that a number of native converts in Tokio were laboring to 
instruct their own people in Christian truths, and that the con- 
gregation of Trinity Chapel had begun to make an effort for self- 
support, undertaking to meet all the current expenses by voluntary 
contributions. 

On the 27th of August the Rev. and Mrs. J. H. Quinby left 
Tokio for a vacation, reaching New York September 29th. Mr. 
Quinby had been in the field about eight years. In December the 
Foreign Committee appointed Miss Belle T. Michie, of Locust 


18 


Grove, Va., as Missionary teacher, to be stationed at Osaka. She 
reached her destination on the 9th of February, 1881, and began 
immediately to aid Miss Eddy in the girls’ school. 

During 1880 the translation of the New Testament was com- 
pleted and it was issued by the American Bible Society in one 
volume. It met with a great demand in Tokio and Osaka, as many 
as four hundred copies being sold on the streets in one day. The 
price was from forty to fifty sen, then equal to about twenty-five 
cents. 

The Rev. Mr. Morris, writing from Osaka in January, 1881, gave 
an encouraging account of the interest manifested in the Sunday 
Services, the attendance being about forty in the morning and 
from thirty to fifty in the afternoon. In April of this year Miss 
Ellen G. Eddy, who had been in charge of the girls’ school in 
Osaka for nearly seven years, resigned in order to assume the care 
of her aged mother. She reached her home in South Bend, Ind., 
on the 22d of July. On the 12th of April Miss Margaret L. Mead 
was appointed as a Missionary teacher and assigned to duty in 
Osaka as an associate with Miss Michie in conducting the girls’ 
school which had been so long under Miss Eddy’s sole manage- 
ment. Miss Mead arrived in Osaka in June. 

On the 26th of January occurred another large fire in Tokio, 
destroying over eleven thousand houses and making about fifty 
thousand people homeless. Two of the Mission chapels were in 
danger, but fortunately they were saved. In March Mr. Tyng 
reported St. Timothy’s School as being in a prosperous condition. 
The number of pupils was upward of forty, and new applications 
were made daily. Many were refused as being too young, but it 
was hoped that a primary department might be established. 
About the same time Mr. Gardiner wrote from Tokio, giving an 
account of the progress of his school and enlarging upon the 
future benefits to be derived from the education of Japanese 
children. 

On Easter Day, April 17th, four converts were baptized, three 
by Mr. Morris, and one by Mr. Tyng. In a letter from Mr. Blan- 
chet, dated July 23d, were mentioned four indications of the rapid 
extension of Christianity in Japan: 

“1, The establishment of a number of religious papers with the Govern- 
ment’s approval— one of these, the Dendo ZassM (the Evangelist), by members 
of the Mission ; 2, the greater demand for and the rapidly increasing supply of 
Christian literature; 3, the renewed energy put forth by the Buddhists in trying 


19 


to bolster up tbeir system, which was daily losing its hold upon the people; 4, 
the tacit allowance by the Government of preacliing the Gospel and of selling 
the Holy Scriptures openly in the interior, as well as at the open ports, irre- 
spective of the protestations of the Buddhists against the same.” 

These facts constituted a strong appeal to the Church for 
prompt and liberal assistance of the Missionary^ cause 

In his annual report the Bishop again referred to the great need 
of teachers for educational work, and the still more pressing 
necessity for Clergymen to carry on the direct Missionary work of 
preaching the Gospel. He reminded the Church that the workers 
in the field could not last forever and that others should be mak- 
ing ready to take their places, as it required two or three years of 
honest, hard work to fit one to be able to preach. 

On the nth of October, i88r, the Foreign Committee appointed 
Miss Sarah L. Riddick of Lewiston, N. C., as Missionary teacher, 
to be sent to Miss Pitman’s assistance in the girls’ school, Tokio. 
The appointment was approved by the Board, December 13th, and 
in March of the following year Miss Riddick sailed for the field. 

On New Year’s Day, 1882, the Rev. Mr. McKim’s infant and 
three Japanese children were baptized at Osaka. In February the 
Bishop wrote and made renewed appeal for three Clergymen, 
urging the necessity for educated men, and expressing a strong 
preference for single men, as being more economically supported 
and easily removed from place to place than married men. His 
allusion to St. Paul’s remark that “He that is married careth for 
the things of the world how he may please his wife” was very 
suggestive. At the same time he asked only that young men 
would be willing to remain single for, say five years, and devote 
that time to the benefit of the Mission. 

The Rev. Mr. Cooper and wife reached the United States on 
the 8th of April, and after some months retired from the work, 
touching which retirement the Board of Managers published the 
following statement: 

“Owing to the state of the Rev. William B. Cooper’s health the Missionary 
Bishop of Yedo is convinced that his return to Japan would be inexpedient, in 
which decision the Board of Managers has concurred. Mr. Cooper has rendered, 
at the request of the Foreign Committee, efficient service in presenting the 
work of the Mission to a number of Parishes; but in consequence of accepting 
a parochial position, he has been obliged to withdraw from such service. Mr. 
Cooper’s connection with the Board terminated December 31st, 1882.” 

On the I2th of May, Mr. James McD. Gardiner and Miss Flor- 
ence R. Pitman were married at Tokio by Bishop Williams, 


20 


assisted by the Rev. Messrs. Blanchet and Shaw, the latter of the 
Church of England. On Trinity Sunday the Bishop advanced the 
Rev. Edmund R. Woodman to the Priesthood, the Service being- 
held in Trinity Chapel, Tokio, the Rev. Messrs. Morris and Blan- 
chet assisting. 

On the 14th of February occurred the death of the Rev. J. H. 
Quinby, at that time visiting friends in Florida. Mr. Quinby had 
been a member of the Mission for nearly ten years, a faithful 
worker, and his death was a sad loss to the Mission cause. 

The close of the Mission year brought little change in the state 
of affairs in the field; the Schools, the Dispensary and the Chapels 
in Osaka were in efficient order, though the absence of Dr. Lan- 
ing, who, after a service of more than eight years, returned home 
on a visit in November, 1881, affected the attendance at the Dis- 
pensary. It was designed, upon his return, to open a hospital and 
generally enlarge this most useful branch of the Mission work. 
He arrived at Osaka November ist, 1882. On December 14th, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Belle T. Michie, the Rev. 
John McKim officiating. Mrs. Laning remains in charge of St. 
Agnes’ School, formerly known as “ the girls’ school.” 

In Tokio the boys’ school* continued to flourish under the able 
management of Mr. Gardiner. In June the entire charge of the 
girls’ school was placed in the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. As 
Miss Pitman, Mrs. Gardiner had been connected with it almost 
from its beginning. Mr. Blanchet reported that of the thirty-five 
pupils who had been in the school twenty were baptized and twelve 
confirmed. There were seven chapels in Tokio, and it was ex- 
pected that two or three more would soon be added to the list. In 
concluding his report the Bishop again adverted to the need for two 
Clergymen and additional teachers. 


In reviewing the history of the Church’s efforts to Christianize 
Japan, the mind is inevitably impressed with two prominent 
thoughts — the magnitude of the work sought to be accomplished, 
and the inadequacy of the means provided. With regard to the 
first, its gigantic proportions are made all the more appalling by 
the reflection that here are thirty-five millions of people, already 
partially emancipated from the thraldom of heathenism; intelli- 
gent, impressionable by nature, easily influenced, actually in a 
transition state and open to the first powerful influences that may 

* Now known as St. Paul’s School. 


21 


be brought to bear upon them On the testimony of a Christian 
Japanese, they have literally trampled their ancient gods beneath 
their feet, having paved garden walks with the stone, while the re- 
mains of their former religious observances serve only to furnish 
food for laughter and derision when hireling priests attempt to 
reawaken the olden adoration of meaningless mysteries and the 
grovelling terror once inspired by deities of wood and stone. 

The result of this revulsion of thought and feeling is inevitable; 
in becoming iconoclasts the Japanese are greatly in danger of 
drifting into agnosticism, if not absolute atheism — a conclusion 
the more to be feared for the reason that their intellectual devel- 
opment makes them not only critical investigators of the new 
theology presented for their acceptance, but scathing satirists of 
the inconsistencies and shortcomings of many of its nominal pro- 
fessors. They are quick to detect any discrepancy between pre- 
cept and practice, and they have but too frequent opportunities of 
seeing how widely these are sometimes asunder. Even the pure 
and blameless lives led by the few pioneers in the Christian army 
are insufficient to convince these keen-eyed critics of the general 
potency of influences which in individual instances have produced 
such unquestionable results. 

Then again, the difficulties are enhanced by the fact, incom- 
prehensible to the average Japanese mind, that there appear to be 
several different descriptions of Christianity, each of which is 
offered as the one only true and genuine faith; nor is their bewil- 
derment at all relieved by the unedifying spectacle of members of 
various Christian bodies acting in practical opposition and rivalry, 
and virtually presenting each other as doubtful exponents of true 
theology. 

In justice to the earnest, devoted, self-sacrificing, and indomi- 
table Missionaries of all religious bodies, it must be said that these 
bickerings are usually confined to those who have no practical 
acquaintance with the situation; while those who occupy the van 
and fight manfully against tremendous odds are almost invariably 
actuated by a feeling of brotherhood and comradeship which leads 
them to sink their differences of opinion and heartily co-operate 
with one another in the grand assault upon the common enemy. 

The inadequacy of the means employed by the Church for the 
accomplishment of this most important object is shown in the fact 
that after the lapse of twenty-four years she has less than a score 
of representatives in the field; and this corporal’s guard is ex- 


22 


pected to battle with a foe whose cohorts are counted by millions. 
This state of affairs would be positively ludicrous, were it not so 
sadly deplorable. Surely the Church does not lack the means to 
urge on the holy warfare; her ranks certainly contain as brave and 
devoted spirits as ever buckled on the armor of righteousness and 
flung themselves impetuously upon the serried lines of the enemy; 
why then is the material aid so slender, and why are the numbers 
of the stalwart soldiers of the Cross so few ? 

It is to be feared that the labors of those who are in the field 
are scarcely appreciated at their true value. There is apt to be a 
feeling of impatience at the apparently slow progress made. This 
is unjust; it should be remembered that at least two years of the 
most assiduous study are necessary in order to attain tolerable 
familiarity with the language, and that even then it is very diffi- 
cult to translate our thoughts and modes of expression into intel- 
ligible Japanese. 

The Missionaries are few, but they have not been idle, nor is 
the value of their work to be measured by immediate and visible 
results. They may not be permitted to see the full fruition of 
their labors, but they are clearing the way for those who are to 
come after them, and the good seed they are planting is the living 
germ which will some day develop into complete maturity. 
Herein lies our hope for the future. 

An architect may plan to erect an edifice whose foundations 
shall be laid broad and deep, and whose towering superstructure 
shall endure for ages, but hundreds of busy hands must be at work 
before the first indication of growth appears above the surface of 
the ground. In secluded quarries the hammer and chisel are fash- 
ioning the stone into fitting shapes; in the depths of the forest 
sturdy blows are levelling the timber that shall be wrought into 
forms of beauty; in dark recesses of the earth the pick and drill 
are exhuming the ore that is to gird the structure with lasting 
strength; and as little by little the various materials are brought 
into harmonious relationship, the walls and turrets and pinnacles 
are reared aloft, and at length the majestic building stands in 
completed beauty, a monument to the patience, the skill, the 
earnestness and the determination of its creators. 

In the distant field of Japan our brave band of Missionaries 
have prayed and labored, in loneliness and discouragement, oft- 
times ready to sink under the heavy burden, yet still toiling on 
with an ardor that would not recognize defeat. They have been 


23 


gradually making impressions upon flinty natures, uprooting deeply 
seated prejudices, bringing to light the hidden treasure of genuine 
worth, and in all their trials have been sustained by the conviction 
that, with God’s blessing, the darkened hearts of fellow beings 
were slowly but surely being moulded and fashioned into fair tem- 
ples meet for the dwelling-place of His Holy Spirit. 


1859. JAPAN MISSION. December, 1882. 

The Rev. John Liggins, arrived in the field, May, 1859. (Returned home, 1860.) 

The Rev. C. M. Williams, arrived in the field, August, 1859. (Now Bishop). 

n. Ernst Schmid, m. d., arrived iu the field, November, 1860. (Returned 
home, 1862.) 

Rev. Arthur R. Morris, arrived in the field. May, 1871. 

Rev. G. D. B. Miller and Wife, arrived in the field, December, 1872. (Left 
the Mission, 1874.) 

Rev. J. H. Quinbt and Wife, arrived in the field, December, 1872. (Mrs. 
Quinby died November 13th, 1875; Mr. Quinby died February 14th, 1882.) 

Henry Laning, m. d., arrived in the field, July, 1873. 

Rev. William B. Cooper, arrived in the field, November, 1873. (Connection 
with the Mission ceased December, 1882.) 

Rev. Charles H. Newman, arrived in the field, November, 1873. (Left the 
Mission December, 1874.) 

Rev. Clement T. Blanchet, arrived in the field, November, 1873, 

Miss Ellen G. Eddy, arrived in the field, November, 1874. (Resigned 
April, 1881.) 

Miss Florence R. Pitman, arrrived in the field, November, 1877. (Now Mrs, 
Gardiner.) 

Rev. I. K. Yokoyama, arrived in the field, October, 1877. (Deposed froin tha 
Ministry, at his own request, 1880.) 

Rev. T. S. Tyng and Wipe, arrived in the field, November, 1878. 

Rev. John McKim and Wipe, arrived in the field, March, 1880. 

Rev. E. R. Woodman and Wife, arrived in the field, September, 1880. 

Mr. J. McD. Gardiner, arrived in the field, October, 1880. 

Miss Belle T. Michie, arrived in the field, February, 1881. (Now Mrs. Laning.) 

Miss Margaret L. Mead, arrived in the field, June, 1881. 

Miss Sarah L. Riddick, arrived iu the field, April, 1882. 


24 



JAPAN MISSION. 


Established 1869. 


1866. 

Baptized. 

1 

Confirmed. 

(Contributed 
in the field.) 

3870. 


4 


3872. 

1 


(Mexican,) $70 00 

1873. 


2 

190 96 

1874. 

21 

21 

363 10 

1875. 

22 

15 

544 30 

1876. 

18 

16 

410 02 

1877. 

20 

8 

227 02 

1878. 

34 

16 

341 21 

1879. 

17 

18 

334 17 

1880. 

36 

30 

390 67 

1881. 

29 

27 

435 44 

3882. 

24 

9 

329 57 


223 

166 

SCHOOLS. 

(Mexican,) $3,636 46 


Osaka. — ^St. Timothy’s School for Boys, St. Agnes’ School for Girls. 
Tokio. — The Divinity School, St. Paul’s School for Boys, Girls’ School. 


MISSION PROPERTY. 

VALUATIONS OF REAL ESTATE, AS REPORTED TO THE BOARD SEPTEMBER IST, 1882. 


Osaka. 


Dwelling-house and lot No. 14 

« 

$1,733 01 

Dwelling-house and lot No. 6 


1,400 00 

Girls’ Recitation Room on same lot . 


342 90 

Lot No. 7, for Girls’ School and Hospital 


800 00 

Lot No. 8, for Hospital .... 


328 66 

Lot No. 5, for Dwelling 


242 90 

Boys’ School Building and lot 21 


2,500 00 

Japanese Dwelling-house, No. 1 Yoriki St. 

(not on 


Concession) ..... 


390 47 

Tokio. 



Trinity Chapel, at Great Bridge 


470 00 

Christ Chapel, at Kanda 


250 00 

Dwelling-house and lot No. 26 


3,590 78 

Dwelling-house and lot No. 38 


4,110 00 

Theological School and lot No. 37 . 


3,581 00 

Lot No. 25 


459 33 

Lot No. 40 


465 56 


$12,926 67 

(Mexican,) $20,664 61 


Note. — I n addition to the foregoing the Treasurer of the Japan Mission reports regarding Osaka 
that one of the school buildings on lot No. 21. not quite completed, has cost $2H6 13 more than 
the amount appropriated, set down above, and that a Chapel has been put up with private funds, 
named St. Timothy’s Chapel, which cost $1,187.57, to cover which the Mission is looking for a 
future appropriation. 


GIRLS' SCHOOL, TOKIO, JAPAN. 




